This invention relates to skis, and more particularly to a ski having means of carrying a skier over snow covered surface under its own power.
As has been discussed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,192 which is herein incorporated by reference, presently, there is a polarization between outdoor winter sports' enthusiasts. The purists use nothing but skis, while the modernists take their relaxation along with their recreation and mount a snowmobile.
Applicant's invention provides the skier on one hand with some of the challenges, such as holding balance, etc., of downhill skiing without the dependency on hilly terrain and ski lifts, and on the other hand it is much less cumbersome to use, to transport and to store than the snowmobile, and less expensive to produce and maintain. The power driven ski comprises an anterior elongated sliding ski portion which is similar to the anterior portion of a conventional ski. To this section, the skier's boot is attached by a conventional binding mechanism. The posterior ski portion is made of an endless belt fit to engage with snow and resist slippage in one direction, but to offer a minimal resistance and drag to sliding over the snow in the opposite direction. It is important that the posterior portion of the ski evenly packs and compresses the snow from above while the endless belt is obtaining a forward thrust from the packed snow. Without this even packing, the snow, especially if in powdery form, is easily blown away from under the belt. Thus, it is also important to proportion the anterior and posterior ski portions, and to locate the binding mechanism so that some of the skier's weight will be utilized to evenly compress and pack the snow through the posterior ski portion. In order to obtain an even packing under the belt, the power driven ski is preferably constructed with a dihedral angle somewhat smaller than 180.degree. between its anterior and posterior portions, when the ski is free of skier's weight, so that under skier's weight, the ski would be straightened, distributing skier's weight along the posterior and anterior ski portions. The motor utilized is preferably an internal combustion engine. It can be mounted directly on the ski or carried by the skier on his back or belt (The reader should keep in mind the ultra light engines on the type utilized in chain saws, weighing 4-8 lbs., which develop several H.P.). If carried by the skier it can be coupled by a flexible shaft to the endless belt, or by a hydrostatic drive. The drive line between the motor and the endless belt can include clutching and/or speed changing mechanism, prefarably a centrifugal clutch or a miniature hydrokinetic torque converter.
A skier may bind a power ski to each of his legs, or bind a power ski to one leg and a conventional ski to the other leg.